Cotton-planter.



' J. W. CRAWFORD.

- OOTTON PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1908.

Patented (M513, 1908.

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J. W. CRAWFORD.

COTTON ILANTEB.

AYPLIUATIOH mum JAN. 31, 1908.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. CRAWFORD, OF LAGRANGE, GEORGIA.

COTTON-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1908. Serial No. 413,668.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN W. CRAWFORD, citizen of the United States, residing at Lagrange, in the county of Troup and State of ireorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates in general to agricultural implements and more particularly to an improved planter embodying novel means for controlling the discharge of the seeds from the hopper.

The object of the invention is to design a planter which is'simple and inexpensive in its construction and operates in an effective manner to drop the seeds within the furrow in a uniform manner as desired.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cotton planter embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the planter, parts being shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The planter is designed more particularly for use in connection with cotton seeds, and comprises a frame formed of a pair of spaced and approximately parallel side pieces 1, the forward ends of the side pieces being deflected inwardly as indicated at 2 and se cured to the upper end of the standard 3 having the furrow opener i applied thereto. It will also be observed that the inwardly deflected portions 2 of the side pieces are rovided at their forward end with an open 111g 5 by means of which draft is designed to be applied to the planter. Handles 6 of the conventional construction extend upwardly and rearwardly' from the forward portion of the side pieces 1 to which they are secured, and are held rigidly in position by means of the braces 7 These braces 7 are secured to the rear portions of the side pieces 1 and extend downwardly below the said side pieces, a supporting wheel 8 being journaled between the said downwardly projecting ends of the braces. This supporting wheel 8 is designed to travel in the furrow formed by the shovel 4:, and the furrow is closed after the seeds have been dropped therein by means of the covering shovels 9 carried by standards 10 secured to the rear extremities of the side pieces 1.

A hopper 11 is pivotally mounted between the handles 6 and in the present instance upon a rod 12 connecting the braces 7 and also extending through the braces and form ing a means for securing the handles thereto. WVhen in normal position the hopper 11 is inclined downwardly and forwardly and the force of gravity tends to swing the same against the wheel 8. A discharge slot 13 is formed in the lower side of the hopper adjacent the bottom thereof and projecting through this discharge slot are the teeth of an agitator wheel 14 which is journaled within the hopper between the sides thereof. These teeth are designed to directly engage the supporting wheel 8 so that as the planter is drawn across the field motion is imparted from the supporting wheel to the agitator and as the latter rotates the teeth thereof engage the seeds within the hopper and cause the same to feed through the dischar e slot 13 and drop into the furrow formed y the shovel 4 in the desired manner. After the seeds have been deposited within the furrow the covering shovels 9 throw the dirt back within the furrow so as to close the same. It will thus be apparent that as the planter is moved forwardly it will operate automatically to open the furrow, deposit the seeds therein at regular intervals, and close the furrow. It may also be mentioned that by merely swinging the hopper 11 upwardly about its. pivotal connection with the rod 12 the teeth of the agitator wheel 14 will be moved away from the supportin wheel 8 and the device can then be moved from. place to place without causing the seeds within the hopper to be fed through the discharge slot 13. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the agitator wheel is provided with twelve of the teeth 14, since such a construction has been found to give excellent results.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a planter, the combination of a frame, av supporting wheel journaled upon the frame, a hopper mounted upon the frame and provided with a discharge opening, and

an agitator wheel journalcd within the hopper and projecting through the discharge opening into engagement with the supporting wheel.

2. In a planter, the combination of a frame, a supporting wheel journaled upon the frame, a hopper pivotally mounted upon the frame above the supporting wheel, and normally tending to swing against the latter, and an agitator Wheel journaled upon the hopper and normally held in engagement with the. supporting Wheel from which it receives motion, the said: itator wheel con trolling the discharge ov seedsfrom the hopper.

3. In a planter, the combination of a frame, a supporting wheel journal ed upon the frame, a hopper pivotal-13y mounted upon the frame and formed witlmad-ischarge opelring, and: an agitator Wheel journal'ed: with-inthe hopper and! projecting through the dis charge opening, the hopper nonmall -y tend ing-to swing toward; the supporting wheel to hold the; agitator Wheel in cooperative re 7 lation thereto.

41. lin. a: planter, the combination of a frame, handles applied to. the frame, a supf porting wheeli journaled': upon: the frame, a swinginghopper pivotally. mounted upon; the handles and provided: with a discharge pening, and an agitator mounted Within 7 the hopper, the hopper having a tendency to frame formed with spaced side pieces, han dles inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the forward ends of the side pieces, braces for the handles, a supporting wheel journ-aled between the: spaced side pieces, a hopper pivotal lw mounted between the handles and normally tending to swing toward? the supporting wheeh, the said hopper having a discharge opening therein, an agitator wheel journaled Within the hopper and provided with teeth projecting through the discharge opening and designed to-engagethe supporting wheel, a furrow opener at the forward endof the side: pieces, and furrow closers at the rear ends of the side pieces.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature inv presenceof' two: witnesses.

JOHN W. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

Ji. Harris, 13;. M. YouN-e. 

